Twin asymmetrical wing sail rig

ABSTRACT

The problems associated with rotating a wing sail around a stayed rig mast; changing the airfoil shape of a wing sail on different tacks; and reefing a wing sail may be solved by using an A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions for supporting two asymmetrical wing sails.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/836,523 filed on Jun. 18, 2013, titled: TWIN ASYMMETRICAL WINGSAIL RIG, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C.§119(e), the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of sailing rigs and moreparticularly, is in the field of twin asymmetrical wing sailing rigs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sailing rigs have existed for thousands of years. A typical sailing rigincludes an elongated, oval-shaped fixed mast, which is held in place bya plurality of stays, turnbuckles and shackles. The mast supports thesail and boom, which creates the driving force to propel a craft acrossthe water when the wind blows. However, traditional masts for sailboatsare not aerodynamic and can act as an obstacle to airflow resulting inhigh drag and reduced efficiency of the sailing rig.

Wing sails have been developed to overcome the problems of a traditionalmast. A wing sail is simply a wing (like an aircraft wing), that is usedas a main sail instead of a traditional yardage sail. Wing sails offerseveral advantages: they can generate lift from as little as 8 degreesoff the wind - vastly better pointing than a traditional sail. Theirefficiency of lift generation is also constant at all wind headings.This means that they range from 25% more efficient (more thrust) on abeam reach to 400% more efficient when pointing. They also generate lessdrag and less heel and therefore, generate more thrust or lift forpropelling a craft. Heeling can be easily controlled with minor changesto the angle of attack of a wing sail. The efficiency of a wing sailcomes from imparting much of the force that would have been lost toheeling into lift.

Sailing a wing sail craft consists simply of rotating the wing sail topoint at about 10 degrees off the apparent wind. This is easilyaccomplished by loosening the sail, letting it settle on the apparentwind, and then sheeting it in about 10 degrees (or to whatever theoptimal angle of attack for the aerodynamic profile and wind conditionshappens to be). Conversely, a wing sail craft can be slowed or depoweredby reducing the angle off the wind. Wing sails are excellent in highwinds as long as the wind is constant. Wing sails can be made toautomatically find the optimal angle of attack with a “tail wing”(exactly like an aircraft tail wing), which pushes the main wing sailten degrees off the apparent wind. With this rig and proper balance, itis not necessary to control the rig to gain optimal forward thrust.

One of the disadvantages of a wing sail is that the supporting rigidmast structure is heavy. In addition, the rigid mast structure cannot bereefed in heavy winds. When overpowered, a wing sail craft can bepointed into the wind to stall it but that creates drag, which instantlyconverts to heel and can knockdown a boat (the wing sail AC45 Catamaransare knocked down routinely because of this effect). Alternatively, awing sail can be loosened and allowed to flap (called feathering), whichis safe for the craft but can destroy the rigid structure of the wingsail. Neither option is ideal.

Symmetrical wing sails (wings where both sides are the same shape andtherefore, are effective on both tacks) generate only marginally morelift than a traditional sail. Wing sails need to be asymmetrical (likean airplane wing, where the top surface is more curved than the bottom)to have a dramatically higher coefficient of lift than a traditionalsail. When changing from a port tack to a starboard tack, the shape of asingle wing must be inverted. Changing the shape of a wing sail from aport tack to a starboard tack requires a lot of internal mechanisms,which adds a significant amount of weight to the sail and can easilybreak.

Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for new and improvedsailing rigs for wing sails.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses these needs and more by providing newmethods and devices for twin asymmetrical wing sails.

Thus, in one embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having afore and aft-stayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mastextrusions; and two asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the port andstarboard mast extrusions each support one of the two asymmetrical wingsails.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the port and starboard mastextrusions are directly joined together at about the pinnacle and centerof effort of a sailboat, and wherein the port and starboard mastextrusions are supported by tabernacles.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the port and starboard mastextrusions are joined by a horizontal bar near their apex, and whereinthe port and starboard mast extrusions are supported by tabernacles.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the port and starboard mastextrusions are stepped at the port and starboard stay chainplates.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the port and starboard mastextrusions are made of aluminum, carbon fiber or other compositematerial.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the port and starboard mastextrusions are rounded tubes of aluminum, carbon fiber or othercomposite material.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the port and starboard mastextrusions are fixed in place.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the port and starboard mastextrusions are rotatable in order to provide rotation to theasymmetrical wing sails.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the two asymmetrical wing sails cancollapse accordion-style, such that the unused wing is lowered when notin use.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the two asymmetrical wing sails arecomplimentary to provide optimal wing shape for a port or a starboardtack.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the two asymmetrical wing sailsinclude a plurality of asymmetrical airfoil shaped ribs, each rib havinga front or leading edge and a back or trailing edge.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the asymmetrical airfoil shapedribs have a S1223 wing profile.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein a stack of asymmetrical airfoilshaped ribs are attached to a sail material at an interval that allowsthe asymmetrical wing sails to maintain its asymmetrical wing shape.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the asymmetrical airfoil shapedribs include a plurality of openings or holes for encircling the port orstarboard mast extrusion.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the plurality of openings or holesin the asymmetrical airfoil shaped ribs are located from about 20-30%from the front or leading edge of the asymmetrical airfoil shaped rib.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the plurality of openings or holesin the asymmetrical airfoil shaped ribs have the same shape as the portand starboard mast extrusions, and which the asymmetrical wing sails canbe raised or lowered.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the port and starboard mastextrusions are rounded and are fixed in place, and the asymmetricalairfoil shaped ribs of the asymmetrical wings rotate freely around theport and starboard mast extrusions.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein the port and starboard mastextrusions are not rounded and the asymmetrical airfoil shaped ribs ofthe asymmetrical wings rotate in unison with the port and starboard mastextrusions.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, further including a slat having a ribbon ofsailcloth attached to and in front of the leading edge of theasymmetrical wing sails.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, wherein a top rib takes the role of a gaffin a gaff-rigged sailboat; and the bottom rib takes the role of a boomin a traditional Bermudan rig sailboat.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, where the rotation of the ribs iscontrolled by one or more mainsheets.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, where the rotation of the ribs iscontrolled by one or more aerodynamic tail wings.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, where the rotation of an individual rib orset of ribs may be separately controlled by a tail-wing to providediffering angles of attack at different elevations along the wing.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, where the rotation of the mast and ribs iscontrolled by one or more mainsheets.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, where the rotation of the mast and ribs iscontrolled by a lever such as a bar or tiller.

In another embodiment the invention provides a sailing rig having a foreand aftstayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mast extrusions; andtwo asymmetrical wing sails, where the rotation of the mast and ribs iscontrolled by automated actuators of any type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the present invention will become more apparent withreference to the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals denote likeelements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of a stayed A-frame mast with port and starboard mastextrusions and two asymmetrical wing sails; and

FIG. 2 is a view of an asymmetrical rib having a S1233 profile, and witha plurality of openings or holes for encircling the port or starboardmast extrusions of a stayed A-frame mast.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used in connection withthe disclosure shall have the meanings that are commonly understood bythose of ordinary skill in the art. Further, unless otherwise requiredby context, singular terms shall include pluralities and plural termsshall include the singular.

There are at least three major engineering problems with a traditionalwing sail. First, there are no mechanisms for rotating a wing sail 360degrees around a stayed rig. Unstayed rigs can be used for wing sailsbut they need to be stronger and are made of very expensive exoticmaterials. For an unstayed rig, the foot of the mast must rotate withoutmoving side to side, which is complex, prone to shock-loading damage,and the resulting mechanisms are very heavy and expensive. In addition,the mechanism to change the airfoil shape of a wing sail to the oppositeside when changing tacks requires a lot of internal mechanisms, whichadds weight to the sail and can easily break. The airfoil shape of awing sail has to be ideal or the lift characteristics are greatlydiminished. Wing sails are notoriously finicky: a simple crease or ridgecan destroy laminar flow across the sail, which greatly diminishes muchof their advantages. This is why traditional sails have persisted for solong: they don't have a “works/doesn't work” failure mode that a wingsail does. Finally, the lack of a simple mechanism for reefing a wingsail when necessary in heavy winds, as well as for storing andtrailering the craft makes wing sailboats impractical.

It has been discovered that the problems associated with rotating a wingsail around a stayed rig mast; changing the airfoil shape of a wing sailon different tacks; and reefing a wing sail may be solved by using an“A-frame” mast with port and starboard mast extrusions for supportingtwo wing sails.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment of the twin asymmetrical wingsail rig, in which the following chart summarizes the nonlimitingcomponents of the twin asymmetrical wing sail rig:

A-frame mast (10);

Two asymmetrical wing sails (12 and 14);

Port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and 18);

Point or pinnacle (20);

Sailboat (22);

Forestay (24);

Aftstay (26);

Asymmetrical airfoil shaped rib (28);

Front or leading edge of rib (30);

Back or trailing edge of rib (32);

Opening or hole in rib (34);

Arc (36);

Four standoffs (38);

Slat (40);

Holes in rib for a downhaul halyard pass-through (42 and 44); and

Holes in rib to save weight (46).

As shown in FIG. 1, instead of a traditional stayed rigged mast, astayed A-frame mast (10) can be used to support two asymmetrical wingsails (12 and 14). The A-frame mast (10) includes port and starboardmast extrusions (16 and 18), which may be directly joined together at apinnacle (20) above a sailboat (22) at the center of effort as shown.Alternatively, the port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and 18) mayinclude a horizontal bar, which joins them together for support neartheir apex (not shown). The port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and18) may be stepped at the location of the port and starboard staychainplates (24 and 26) as found on a typical stayed sailboat rigging,and meet at a point or pinnacle (20) above the deck approximately ashigh as the sailboat (22) is long. The two asymmetrical wing sails (12and 14) can be made so they collapse accordion-style, such that theunused asymmetrical wing (12 or 14) is lowered when not in use. Thecollapsible asymmetrical wing sails (12 and 14) can be easily reefed orstowed for storing or trailering. In addition, the two asymmetrical wingsails (12 and 14) can be made so they are complimentary to each other,which allows for use of the optimal wing shape for port and starboardtacks.

The port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and 18) of the A-frame mast(10) can be of any shape or size, and can be made of any appropriatematerials including aluminum, carbon fiber, and other well knowncomposite materials in the art. At or near the pinnacle (20) of theA-frame mast (10), a custom crossbar may be used to join the port andstarboard mast extrusions (16 and 18) together, and which may include ahalyard block (not shown) attached for each port and starboard mastextrusions (16 and 18). The port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and18) may be simple rounded tubes and may be fixed in place.Alternatively, the port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and 18) may benon-rounded and may be rotatable in order to provide rotation to the twoasymmetrical wing sails (12 and 14). Due to their simplicity, thecombined port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and 18) weigh about thesame amount as a single mast on a typical sailboat. The A frame mast(10) may be stayed with a typical forestay (24) and aftstay (backstay)(26) assembly at the center of the pinnacle (20) or crossbar. The portand starboard mast extrusions (16 and 18) act to support the twoasymmetrical wing sails (12 and 14) and replace the function of the mastand side stays in a traditional sailing rig.

The port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and 18) of the A-frame mast(10) may each be supported by a tabernacle (32 and 34). The tabernacles(32 and 34) may be from about 1-2 feet high, and are fixed andnon-rotating, and generally have the same profile as the port andstarboard mast extrusions (16 and 18). When an asymmetrical wing sail(12 or 14) is completely lowered, it rests on its tabernacle (32 or 34)and can be secured or locked into place. A specially engineered jointthat can rotate 360 degrees and bend from 0 to 90 degrees forward can beused to join a tabernacle (32 or 34) to its port or starboard mastextrusion (16 or 18).

The A-frame mast (10) includes two asymmetrical wing sails: port (12)and starboard (14). Each asymmetrical wing sail (12 and 14) iscomplimentary to each other, never changes its shape and is perfectlyshaped for its port or starboard tack. The port asymmetrical wing (12)is used on a port tack and the starboard asymmetrical wing (14) is usedon a starboard tack. Any asymmetrical profile with good liftcharacteristics will do for the asymmetrical wing sails (12 and 14), andincludes but is not limited to the S1223 wing profile.

The mechanism for changing the shape of a wing sail for each tack is tochange the asymmetrical wing sail (12 or 14) being used. The problem of360 degree rotation with stayed rigs is solved by having twoasymmetrical wing sails (12 and 14). Each asymmetrical wing sail (12 and14) needs only to rotate about 160 degrees to produce the desired rangeof motion (Irons doesn't matter, and downwind is wing-on-wing). Becauseeach asymmetrical wing sail (12 and 14) needs to rotate only about 160degrees, they do not impact the forestay (24) and aftstay (26) of theA-frame mast (10). The rotation occurs on the port and starboard mastsextrusions (16 and 18), which are inherently out of the way of theforestay (24) and aftstay (26).

The two asymmetrical wing sails (12 and 14) include a plurality ofasymmetrical airfoil shaped ribs (28), each rib (28) has a front orleading edge (30) and a back or trailing edge (32), and which forms thetwo dimensional section of each wing sail (12 and 14). Each rib (28) maybe made of any appropriate material including but not limited to wood,polymeric resins, carbon fiber composites and the like. As shown in FIG.2, each asymmetrical rib (28), here a rib (28) having a S1223 wingprofile, includes a plurality of openings or holes (34) for encirclingthe port or starboard mast extrusion (16 and 18) of the A-frame mast(10). Each of the ribs (28) include the opening or hole (34) locatedfrom about 20-30% from the front or leading edge (30) to the back ortrailing edge (32) of the asymmetrical airfoil shaped rib (28), and hasabout the same shape as the port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and18). It is through this opening or hole (34) that each of the ribs (28)slides on the port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and 18) and the twoasymmetrical wing sails (12 and 14) can be raised or lowered. In someembodiments, the opening or hole (34) may be located from about 20-25%from the front or leading edge (30) to the back or trailing edge (32) ofthe asymmetrical airfoil shaped rib (28), and in other embodiments, theopening or hole (34) may be located from about 23% from the front orleading edge (30) to the back or trailing edge (32) of the asymmetricalairfoil shaped rib (28). The port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and18) may be tubes or spars of aluminum, carbon fiber, or other well knowncomposite materials, and the two asymmetrical wing sails (12 and 14),each having a series of airfoil shaped rib structures (28), slide up anddown on it. With a rounded port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and18), the ribs (28) rotate freely while the mast extrusions (16 and 18)are fixed in place. With any other non-rounded port and starboard mastextrusion (16 and 18) profile, when the mast extrusion (16 and 18)rotates—all the ribs (28) and the asymmetrical wings (12 and/or 14)rotate.

The asymmetrical airfoil shaped ribs (28) may include an arc (36) on thefour standoffs (38) at the front or leading edge (30), which supports aslat (40). The opening or hole (34) may be squared for use with squaredport and starboard mast extrusions (16 and 18). The opening or hole (34)may be rounded if the port and starboard mast extrusions (16 and 18) arerounded. The two smaller holes (42 and 44) next to the square opening orhole (34) are the downhaul halyard pass-through. The remaining holes(46) in the ribs (28) are to save weight.

A stack of the asymmetrical airfoil shaped ribs can be sewn (tacked orstapled) onto typical wing sail material at an interval that allows thematerial to maintain the wing shape in heavy winds. For example, about1-2 foot intervals can be used. When the top rib is held aloft, anasymmetrical wing structure is created by the sailcloth under tensionwith ribs at every 1-2 feet. The top rib may be stronger and takes therole of a gaff in a gaff-rigged sailboat; and the bottom rib may bestronger and takes the role of the boom in a traditional Bermudan rigsailboat.

When made of ½ inch marine plywood, each rib should weigh about 6 lbs.,and the asymmetrical wing structural components will add considerableweight aloft compared to sailcloth alone. This shouldn't be a problemgiven the much reduced heeling inherent with a wing sail, but dependingon the weight it may be necessary to add a small amount of additionalpermanent ballast to the keel of the boat to compensate for weight aloftcompared to a traditional Bermudan rig.

At the front or leading edge of the asymmetrical airfoil shaped ribs, anexterior (outside the Mylar) standoff protrudes forward, and anotherribbon of sailcloth may be attached to this, which goes in front of theleading edge. This creates the slat, which can dramatically improve theefficiency of the lift generated and increase the “angle of attack,” orthe range of angles at which the asymmetrical wing sail will work up toabout 30 degrees. This means a lot less sail handling in confused winds.

When the halyards are loosened, the asymmetrical wing sail assemblycollapses down accordion-style onto the deck, tabernacle and around thebase of the port and starboard mast extrusions like a sock that has beenpushed or pulled down. When hoisted, the ribs slide up the port orstarboard mast extrusions, and when tensioned, the asymmetrical wingsail becomes rigid. The boom rib, interior ribs, and gaff rib providethe wing sail shape in two dimensions, and the tensioned sail fabricprovides the shape of the wing sail in the third dimension.

The mechanism for reefing an asymmetrical wing sail is simple. Byloosening the halyards, the ribs in the wing sail slide down the portand/or starboard mast extrusion until they are stacked at the bottom. Tocontrol the downhaul more precisely, a downhaul line can be ran throughthe interior ribs from the bottom to the top, with a stopper knot abovethe top rib. Loosening the halyards and hauling the downhaul line willthen pull the asymmetrical wing sail to the deck faster.

To tack an asymmetrical wing sail craft, downhaul the windward wing tothe deck, and hoist the leeward wing. Because the wing sail istechnically a gaff rig with the top rib acting as the gaff, two halyardsare necessary per wing (four total) in order to tension the rigproperly. To simplify rigging, the halyards can be run through thecenter of port and starboard mast extrusions, with blocks at the top todirect them to the leading and trailing edges of the gaff wing rib. Asingle downhaul should suffice, as tension is not a factor in downhaul.At the foot of the two mast extrusions, the halyards can be turned withblocks to run back to the cockpit clutches on each side. Both halyardscan be hauled at the same time, but they will have to be separatelytensioned when the wing is fully aloft.

This does mean that tacking can be a little complicated. However, thedramatic improvement in pointing and downwind performance means thattacking should be far less necessary. Most headings can be reacheddirectly without ever tacking.

When the mast extrusion is rotated (as per usual) and the asymmetricalwing sail is lowered, it will not fit over the non-rotating tabernacleuntil the wing is brought to the fore-aft position. This can be doneafter the asymmetrical wing has been completely lowered, and after theother wing sail has been lofted so as not to complicate tacking. Bykeeping the leading and trailing mainsheets cleated while lowering, thelowered wing will not move during the tack operation and can be rotatedinto place onto the tabernacles when time permits after the tack iscomplete.

There are two types of asymmetrical wings: wings with fixed rounded mastextrusions around which the wing ribs rotate; and wings with non-roundedmast extrusions where the mast extrusion and the wing ribs rotatetogether. They are trimmed differently.

For fixed rounded mast extrusions, trim is controlled by a tail-wing inexactly the same manner as an airplane: A pole comes out the back ofsome or all of the ribs and goes back a sufficient distance to createleverage on the ribs. Typically, a distance of about 8 feet may be used.Attached to the end of this pole is a tail wing using an appropriatewing profile such as NACA0012. The wind on the tail wing causes it tocenter the tail wing to the wing and push the main wing with leverage towhatever angle the poles are off of the center of lift. These wings areauto-trimming and will always maintain the fixed angle of attack createdby the tail pole angle, and will automatically turn into the wind. Thereneed be no mechanism needed to control trim. Furthermore, everyindividual rib may have its own separate tail wing, allowing the wing to“twist” such that the angle of attack varies for each rib so as to beperfect for the wind at its elevation, rather than the entire wingmaintaining a common angle of attack.

For asymmetrical wings with rotating masts extrusions and non-roundedprofiles, wing rotation is controlled at the boom (bottom rib) with aleading edge sheet and a trailing edge sheet. Loosen both sheets andallow the wing to come to the wind. Haul in the trailing edge sheet(analogous to the mainsheet) until the wing is back ten degrees (orwhatever the optimal angle of attack for the wing foil design happens tobe), and the sail powers up. Cleat it off, then harden up and cleat offthe leading edge sheet. A yang can be used to downhaul on the boom ribto keep the sail taut, but it is not necessary to adjust it for sailshape.

No headsail is necessary with the asymmetrical wing sail rig. Aroller-furling 75% jib could be used with the sheets going inside themasts, but there would be little point to it as the wing sails don'tsuffer from weather helm. This jib would auto-tack as there's nothing inits way. A jib might be useful to create a slat effect.

A symmetrical spinnaker could be used for downwind sailing, but thewing-on-wing configuration of both asymmetrical wings would present morearea directly to the wind, likely making all headsails unnecessary.

The lift for the asymmetrical wing sails may be calculated using thefollowing values: Cl=2.5, p=1.225 (standard sea level), V=7.7 (15 knotwind), A=18 square meters of sail. A coefficient of lift of 2.5 isconservative for an asymmetric wing airfoil: Cl as high as 4 can beachieved. At a Cl of 3, a 26′ sailboat would be sailing at the speed ofthe apparent wind on any point of sail excepting irons, which would onlybe 20 degrees wide. Performance would be about double what it is with atypical Bermudan rig, which is to say that any given speed could beaccomplished with half the wind speed and considerably less heeling.

Lowering the A-frame mast for trailering is simple. The bases of theport and starboard mast extrusions may be fixed in place, and theasymmetrical wing sails can be reefed down onto these lower sections(right to the deck) when lowered. They each form a sail pack about 2feet high. These may be called tabernacles. This is the permanentstorage location for the wing sails—they never have to be removed fromthe mast base. These tabernacles may be completely vertical, and the Aframe mast may start at the hinge location.

At about the 2 foot height where the tabernacle meets the mast there isa “knee” hinge that allows the A frame to lower forward over the bow ofthe boat. This will protrude approximately ⅓ the length of the boatforward of the bow, and therefore likely over the tow vehicle dependingupon size. This will not present an issue when towing.

Although the disclosure has been described with reference to the aboveexamples, it will be understood that modifications and variations areencompassed within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly,the disclosure is limited only by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sailing rig comprising a fore and aftstayedA-frame mast having port and starboard mast extrusions; and twoasymmetrical wing sails, wherein the port and starboard mast extrusionseach support one of the two asymmetrical wing sails.
 2. The sailing rigof claim 1, wherein the port and starboard mast extrusions are directlyjoined together at about the pinnacle and center of effort of asailboat, and wherein the port and starboard mast extrusions aresupported by tabernacles.
 3. The sailing rig of claim 1, wherein theport and starboard mast extrusions are joined by a horizontal bar neartheir apex, and wherein the port and starboard mast extrusions aresupported by tabernacles.
 4. The sailing rig of claim 1, wherein theport and starboard mast extrusions are stepped at the port and starboardstay chainplates.
 5. The sailing rig of claim 1, wherein the port andstarboard mast extrusions are made of aluminum, carbon fiber or othercomposite material.
 6. The sailing rig of claim 1, wherein the port andstarboard mast extrusions are rounded tubes of aluminum, carbon fiber orother composite material.
 7. The sailing rig of claim 1, wherein theport and starboard mast extrusions are fixed in place.
 8. The sailingrig of claim 1, wherein the port and starboard mast extrusions arerotatable in order to provide rotation to the asymmetrical wing sails.9. The sailing rig of claim 1, wherein the two asymmetrical wing sailscan collapse accordion-style, such that the unused wing is lowered whennot in use.
 10. The sailing rig of claim 1, wherein the two asymmetricalwing sails are complimentary to provide optimal wing shape for a port ora starboard tack.
 11. The sailing rig of claim 10, wherein the twoasymmetrical wing sails include a plurality of asymmetrical airfoilshaped ribs, each rib having a front or leading edge and a back ortrailing edge.
 12. The sailing rig of claim 11, wherein the asymmetricalairfoil shaped ribs have a S1223 wing profile.
 13. The sailing rig ofclaim 12, wherein a stack of asymmetrical airfoil shaped ribs areattached to a sail material at an interval that allows the asymmetricalwing sails to maintain its asymmetrical wing shape.
 14. The sailing rigof claim 13, wherein the asymmetrical airfoil shaped ribs include aplurality of openings or holes for encircling the port or starboard mastextrusion.
 15. The sailing rig of claim 14, wherein the plurality ofopenings or holes in the asymmetrical airfoil shaped ribs are locatedfrom about 20-30% from the front or leading edge of the asymmetricalairfoil shaped rib.
 16. The sailing rig of claim 15, wherein theplurality of openings or holes in the asymmetrical airfoil shaped ribshave the same shape as the port and starboard mast extrusions, and whichthe asymmetrical wing sails can be raised or lowered.
 17. The sailingrig of claim 16, wherein the port and starboard mast extrusions arerounded and are fixed in place, and the asymmetrical airfoil shaped ribsof the asymmetrical wings rotate freely around the port and starboardmast extrusions.
 18. The sailing rig of claim 16, wherein the port andstarboard mast extrusions are not rounded and the asymmetrical airfoilshaped ribs of the asymmetrical wings rotate in unison with the port andstarboard mast extrusions.
 19. The sailing rig of claim 13, furthercomprising a slat comprising a ribbon of sailcloth attached to and infront of the leading edge of the asymmetrical wing sails.
 20. Thesailing rig of claim 11, wherein a top rib takes the role of a gaff in agaff-rigged sailboat; and the bottom rib takes the role of a boom in atraditional Bermudan rig sailboat.
 21. The sailing rig of claim 17,where the rotation of the ribs is controlled by one or more mainsheets.22. The sailing rig of claim 17, where the rotation of the ribs iscontrolled by one or more aerodynamic tail wings.
 23. The sailing rig ofclaim 22, where the rotation of an individual rib or set of ribs may beseparately controlled by a tail-wing to provide differing angles ofattack at different elevations along the wing.
 24. The sailing rig ofclaim 18, where the rotation of the mast and ribs is controlled by oneor more mainsheets.
 25. The sailing rig of claim 18, where the rotationof the mast and ribs is controlled by a lever such as a bar or tiller.26. The sailing rig of claim 18, where the rotation of the mast and ribsis controlled by automated actuators of any type.